ARS | Publication request: Winter Wheat Effects on Establishment of Frost-Seeded Red Clover Cultivars

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: November 4, 2004
Publication Date: November 4, 2004
Citation: Singer, J.W., Casler, M.D., Kohler, K.A. 2004. Winter wheat effects on establishment of frost-seeded red clover cultivars [CD-ROM]. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts. Madison, WI.

Technical Abstract: Interseeding red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) in small grains in the northern USA can provide forage after the grain harvest, yet cultivar differences in establishment have not been reported. Our objectives were to determine the effect of the presence or absence of a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop on frost-seeded establishment and persistence of 15 red clover cultivars. The field study was conducted near Boone, IA during the 2003 and 2004 growing seasons. The presence or absence of wheat did not influence establishment densities of red clover (EDRC) in either year, but did affect post-wheat-harvest densities (PWHD) in both years. Averaged across cultivar, PWHD with wheat were 199 vs. 260 plants m-2 without wheat in 2003 and 46 vs. 74 in 2004. No interactions were observed in either year. EDRC among cultivars ranged from 321 to 161 plants m-2 while PWHD ranged from 287 to 176 plants m-2 in 2003. Differences in EDRC and PWHD were observed for diploid vs. tetraploid, elite vs. land race, WI elite vs. Northern elite, and among Northern elite cultivars. In 2004, EDRC ranged from 115 to 36 plants m-2 while PWHD ranged from 85 to 40 plants m-2. Dry soil conditions during emergence in 2004 lowered stand densities. These results indicate that marked differences exist in establishment and persistence among red clover cultivars frost-seeded into winter wheat.